Box with Two Product Compartments

ABSTRACT

A glued blank for producing a two compartment box. The blank comprises a bottom, a shelf, and a lid. The shelf has front and rear supports for supporting the shelf on the bottom of the blank. The shelf has side supports for supporting the shelf on the bottom of the blank. The lid has side walls, a front wall and a rear wall and the lid rear wall connects the lid to the bottom of the blank. The rear shelf support connects the shelf to the bottom of the blank. The blank is glued.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention is in the field of boxes with two product compartments.

2. Description of the State of the Art

During a search for patents related to the present invention, the following US Patents were noted: 20120111931; 20110272411; 20110233264; U.S. Pat. Nos. 8,365,981; 6,951,949; 6,851,601; 6,752,311; 6,386,440; 5,445,314; 5,351,880; 5,002,221; 4,957,237; 4,944,452; 2,852,177; 2,850,224; D690,591; D683,624; D682,680; D649,040 and D362,803.

The prior art includes a large number and variety of boxes, some of which have two product compartments. Some prior boxes are especially useful in the food industry and some are targeted specifically for protecting pizza and related items during delivery.

In the pizza business, speed is a primary objective. When pizzerias get slammed, pizzas must be made, baked, and boxed at breakneck speed. Even box folding speed is an important consideration. Dale Lamoureux has been featured in pizza commercials for his ability to fold 50 pizza boxes in 2 minutes and 11 seconds. Most pizza stores simply do not have space to store hundreds of folded boxes, so boxes must be set-up quickly during peak sales times. Even the size of unfolded pizza boxes is an important consideration in pizza stores.

It is important that pizza boxes be strong, especially when they contain steaming hot pizzas. Preventing food items from shifting during delivery is also an important consideration. Nowadays, pizza stores offer a wide variety of menu items in addition to pizza such as wings, garlic bread, cheese bread, sauces, and the like. A two compartment box would be especially useful if it could be used to transport a pizza and multiple other menu items.

Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a two compartment box that takes up less space than conventional boxes when not folded.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a two compartment box that can be folded quickly and easily.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a two compartment container with means for preventing items from sliding around during transportation.

It is also an object of the invention to provide a two compartment box that is sturdy and rugged, and will stand up to stacking.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a two compartment box that is vented, in case it is used for transporting hot food items so that food does not become soggy from trapped steam.

It is yet another object of the invention to provide a two compartment box which affords easy access to both compartments.

These and other objects and advantages of the present invention shall be apparent from the following detailed description with reference, therein, to the several drawing figures.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWING

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a blank, before gluing, for producing an unfolded box according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of an erected, closed box, according to one embodiment of the invention, made by folding the blank shown in FIG. 1 after it was glued.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a partially erected box made by folding and gluing the blank shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a partially erected box made by further folding the blank shown in FIG. 1, after it was glued, from the condition shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a partially erected box made by further folding the blank shown in FIG. 1, after it was glued, from the condition shown in FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a partially folded box made from the blank shown in FIG. 1 in a condition where it is substantially flat as it might be stored and stacked just before it is used.

FIG. 7 is a plan view of a blank, before gluing, for producing an unfolded box according to one embodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of an erected, closed box, according to one embodiment of the invention, made by folding the blank shown in FIG. 7 after it was glued.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a partially erected box made by folding the blank shown in FIG. 7, after it was glued.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of a partially erected box made by further folding the blank shown in FIG. 7, after it was glued, from the condition shown in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a partially erected box made by further folding the blank shown in FIG. 7, after it was glued, from the condition shown in FIG. 10.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLES OF THE INVENTION

Referring now to FIG. 1, a blank indicated generally at 10 comprises a bottom section, indicated at 12, a shelf section, indicated at 14, and a lid section, indicated at 16. The blank 10, after it is cut and scored, is glued and erected, step by step. Some of these steps are shown in FIGS. 3 through 6, to produce a box 18 shown in a closed condition in FIG. 2. The elements of the blank 10 are described below with reference to FIG. 1.

The blank 10 comprises a bottom 20, a shelf 22, and a lid 24. Bottom side walls 26 and 28 are foldably connected to the bottom 20. Side shelf supports 30 and 32 are foldably connected to the shelf 22. A rear shelf support 34 is foldably connected to the shelf 22. A front shelf support 36 is foldably connected to the shelf 22 and foldably connected to the bottom 20. Front shelf support tabs 38 and 40 are foldably connected to the front shelf support 36. Lid side walls 42 and 44 are foldably connected to the lid 24. A lid front wall 46 is foldably connected to the lid 24. A lid rear wall 48 is foldably connected to the lid 24 and foldably connected to the bottom 20.

Bottom glue tabs 50 and 52 are foldably connected to the bottom side walls 26 and 28, respectively. Glue is applied to the sides of the glue tabs 50 and 52 that are visible in FIG. 1 and/or to the sides of the front shelf support tabs 38 and 40 that are not visible in FIG. 1. The blank 10 is folded and the sides of the front shelf support tabs 38 and 40 that are not visible in FIG. 1 are glued to the glue tabs 50 and 52, respectively.

Lid front wall support tabs 54 and 56 are foldably connected to the lid front wall. Lid glue tabs 58 and 60 are foldably connected to the lid side walls 42 and 44, respectively. Glue is applied to the side of the lid glue tabs 58 and 60 that are visible in FIG. 1 and/or to the sides of the lid front wall support tabs 54 and 56 that are not visible in FIG. 1. The blank 10 is folded and the sides of the lid front wall support tabs 54 and 56 that are not visible in FIG. 1 are glued to the lid glue tabs 58 and 60, respectively.

The glued blank shown in FIG. 3 can be folded to produce the erected box indicated at 18 in FIG. 2. As the glued blank shown in FIG. 3 is folded, first and second compartments are created and can be filled with products. A first, bottom compartment has the bottom 20 as its bottom. The first compartment is bounded on three sides by bottom side walls 26 and 28, and by front shelf support 36. One manipulates the bottom side walls 26 and 28, and the front shelf support 36 so that they form an angle of about 90 degrees with the bottom 20, substantially as shown in FIG. 3. One manipulates the side shelf supports 30 and 32, and the rear shelf support 34, so that they form an angle of angle of about 90 degrees with the shelf 22, substantially as shown in FIG. 3. A first product or group of products is positioned on the bottom 20. One then manipulates the shelf section 14 by folding the shelf 22, relative to the front shelf support 36, about their foldable connection, from the position shown in FIG. 3 to the position shown in FIG. 4 in which the side shelf supports 30 and 32, and the rear shelf support 34, engage the bottom 20. The first product(s) is now contained within the first, bottom compartment which is defined, on four sides, by the side shelf supports 30 and 32 and the front and rear shelf supports 34 and 36. The first compartment is further defined on the top and bottom by the shelf 22 and the bottom 20.

A second, top compartment has the shelf 22 for a bottom. The bottom side walls 26 and 28 are deeper than the side, rear and front shelf supports 30, 32, 34, and 36 so that portions of the bottom side walls 26 and 28 extend above the shelf 22 and they define side walls of the second, top compartment. Product(s) is positioned on the shelf 22, as desired. One or more product positioning tabs, such as tab 64 and tab 66, may be provided to restrict undesired movement of product or products within the second compartment. The tabs 64 and 66 are formed by cutouts in the shelf 22 so that they may be folded upwardly as shown in FIGS. 4 and 5.

Creased tab connectors 68 and 70 connect the lid rear wall 48 to the bottom side walls 26 and 28, respectively. The tab connectors 68 and 70 move towards each as the lid rear wall is 48 is folded relative to the bottom 20. When the lid rear wall 48 is adjacent to the rear shelf support 34, the lid 24 is folded relative to the lid rear wall 48 until the box 18 is closed as shown in FIG. 2.

In case the box 18 is used to contain hot food products, it should be vented. Vents, as shown in FIG. 1, may be provided on the bottom side walls 26 and 28 so that they align with vents provided on the lid side walls 42 and 44 to vent the second, top compartment to the outside in the closed box 18. The second, top compartment is further vented to the outside by vents provided on the lid rear wall 48. The second, top compartment is further vented to the outside by vents provided on the lid front wall 46. The first, bottom compartment is vented to the outside by vents provided in the rear shelf support 34 when they align with the vents on the lid rear wall 48 in the closed box 18. The first, bottom compartment is vented to the second, top compartment by openings in the shelf 22 adjacent to the positioning tabs 64 and 66. The first, bottom compartment is further vented to the second, top compartment by a first corner opening formed between the shelf 22, the bottom side wall 26 and the front shelf support 36, and by a second corner opening formed between the shelf 22, the bottom side wall 28 and the front shelf support 36. Other venting arrangements may be incorporated in the box 18.

A second example of a box according to the invention is indicated generally at 62 in FIG. 8. The closed box 62 is made from a blank 10 shown in FIG. 7 and this blank corresponds with the blank 10 shown in FIG. 1 except that the FIG. 7 blank 10 does not include the creased tab connectors 68 and 70 (FIG. 3). In their pace, the FIG. 7 blank 10 includes folding tabs 72 and 74. In the condition shown in FIG. 8, the folding tabs 72 and 74 are partially folded towards each other. The tabs 72 and 74 are folded so that they are perpendicular to the bottom side walls 26 and 28, before the lid rear wall is 48 is folded relative to the bottom 20. When the lid rear wall 48 is folded until it is adjacent to the rear shelf support 34, the lid 24 is folded relative to the lid rear wall 48 until the box 62 is closed as shown in FIG. 8.

It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that the inventions are subject to modifications within the limits of the knowledge of a person of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope or spirit of the invention. 

We claim:
 1. A blank for producing a two compartment box, said blank comprising a bottom, a shelf, a lid, bottom side walls connected to said bottom with fold lines therebetween, side shelf supports connected to said shelf with fold lines therebetween, a rear shelf support connected to said shelf with a fold line therebetween, a front shelf support connected to said shelf with a fold line therebetween, said front shelf support also connected to said bottom with a fold line therebetween, front shelf support tabs connected to said front shelf support 36 with fold lines therebetween, lid side walls connected to said lid with fold lines therebetween a lid front wall connected to said lid with a fold line therebetween, a lid rear wall connected to said lid with a fold line therebetween, said rear lid wall also connected to said bottom with a fold line therebetween, bottom glue tabs connected to said bottom side walls with fold lines therebetween, and lid front wall support tabs connected to said lid front wall with fold lines therebetween.
 2. The blank claimed in claim 1 wherein said bottom glue tabs are glued to said front shelf support tabs.
 3. The blank claimed in claim 1, said blank further comprising lid glue tabs connected to said lid side walls with fold lines therebetween.
 4. The blank claimed in claim 3 wherein said lid front support tabs are glued to said lid glue tabs.
 5. The blank claimed in claim 4 wherein said bottom glue tabs are glued to said front shelf support tabs.
 6. The blank claimed in claim 1 wherein a product positioning tab is connected to said shelf with a fold line therebetween.
 7. The blank claimed in claim 1 wherein at least one vent is provided in said lid rear wall, wherein at least one vent is provided in said rear shelf, and wherein, when the blank is folded to produce a two compartment box as the box is closed, said at least one rear wall vent and said at least one rear shelf vent are aligned.
 8. The blank claimed in claim 1, said blank further comprising an edge product positioning tab connected to said front shelf support with a fold line therebetween.
 9. The blank claimed in claim 6, said blank further comprising an edge product positioning tab connected to said front shelf support with a fold line therebetween.
 10. A blank for producing a two compartment box, said blank comprising a bottom, a shelf, a lid, bottom side walls connected to said bottom with fold lines therebetween, side shelf supports connected to said shelf with fold lines therebetween, a rear shelf support connected to said shelf with a fold line therebetween, a front shelf support connected to said shelf with a fold line therebetween, said front shelf support also connected to said bottom with a fold line therebetween, front shelf support tabs connected to said front shelf support 36 with fold lines therebetween, lid side walls connected to said lid with fold lines therebetween a lid front wall connected to said lid with a fold line therebetween, a lid rear wall connected to the lid with a fold line therebetween, said rear lid wall also connected to said bottom with a fold line therebetween, lid glue tabs connected to said lid side walls with fold lines therebetween, and lid front wall support tabs connected to said lid front wall with fold lines therebetween.
 11. The blank claimed in claim 10 wherein said lid glue tabs are glued to said lid front support tabs.
 12. The blank claimed in claim 10 wherein a product positioning tab is connected to said shelf with a fold line therebetween.
 13. The blank claimed in claim 10 wherein at least one vent is provided in said lid rear wall, wherein at least one vent is provided in said rear shelf, and wherein, when the blank is folded to produce a two compartment box as the box is closed, said at least one rear wall vent and said at least one rear shelf vent are aligned.
 14. The blank claimed in claim 10, said blank further comprising an edge product positioning tab connected to said front shelf support with a fold line therebetween. 